Odisha Governor Visits Kendrapara, Addresses Housing Concerns of Locals

Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, during his recent visit to Kendrapara on Saturday, took an unusual step by directly engaging with local residents to address their concerns. In a deviation from standard security protocols, Governor Das interacted with a group of women from Jajang village who approached him with their grievances regarding housing. The Governor, who has been actively visiting different districts, had gone to Kendrapara for a visit to the Sri Baldevjew temple. Following this, he encountered the group of women who were awaiting his departure to share their issues.

These women informed the Governor about their living conditions in deteriorated houses and their struggles due to not receiving benefits under the Pradhan Man Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), a central government housing scheme. Responding to their appeals, Governor Das stepped out of his car to engage with them. He proceeded to visit their village personally to gain a firsthand understanding of their living conditions and the issues they faced. During this interaction, the residents expressed their hardships due to the lack of adequate housing facilities under the PMAY scheme. Following these discussions, the Governor inquired with the district Collector about the implementation of the PMAY in Kendrapara and specifically why these families had been overlooked.

He subsequently directed the Collector to ensure that the affected families receive the housing benefits they were entitled to under the PMAY scheme. Sasmita Tripathy, a resident of Jajang village, recounted her experience, stating that she had approached the Governor’s car to discuss her family’s difficult living situation. Despite advice against visiting the village, the Governor proceeded to her house, accompanied by the Collector and the Block Development Officer (BDO), and assured her of receiving a house under the scheme. Tripathy also mentioned that prior efforts to seek help from the panchayat and block administration had not yielded any results. The Governor’s direct intervention highlights his commitment to addressing the concerns of citizens and ensuring the effective implementation of government welfare schemes at the grassroots level.